﻿NASA’s New Light Speed Engine That Defies the Laws of Physics
Intro One of the most important things that the
scientific community has focused on in the recent decades is to research new, more efficient ways
of space travel which may allow us to explore more of not only our solar system but perhaps
even go beyond into the vastness of space. The propulsion technology that is used today is known
to be very restricting and is one of the biggest obstacles standing in our way to the stars.
Not only does it take a lot of fuel to burn, but it is very expensive to manufacture these systems
since they are mostly non-renewable. NASA has been at the forefront of trying to find
new ways of traveling through space at much faster speeds than ever imagined before and
in an efficient manner, and now a breakthrough may be imminent as reports suggest they are
close to a revolutionary new space engine which travels close to the speed of light.
A paper that was first published in 2016 states that the controversial engine produces thrust
even though it defies the known laws of physics. In today's video, let's talk about these findings
in detail and find out for ourselves if we are truly on the cusp of something great, or is it
just another theory yet to be proven. Breakthrough by NASA
A talented research team at NASA's Johnson Space Center sent shockwaves through the scientific
community when they reached a milestone that was initially thought to be impossible by many
experts. Upon formal publication, their report stated that they had experimental evidence for
an electromagnetic propulsion system that could power spacecraft through a void without using
any kind of propellant as fuel. The findings stated that the electromagnetic drive or EmDrive
could convert electricity into thrust by simply bouncing around microwaves in a closed cavity.
Theoretically speaking, such a lightweight engine could one day be used to send a spacecraft to the
surface of Mars in just 70 days. The one thing that stands in the way of this new engine and the
reason why the idea is called so controversial is that the EmDrive seems to defy the laws of
classical physics. As a result, even if the engine does what the team claims, scientists
are still in the dark on how it actually works. This has caused the subject to be steeped in
skepticism with many physicists referring to the idea of an EmDrive to the realm of pseudoscience.
What makes this development particularly exciting though is the latest study has passed a level of
scrutiny by independent scientists and their findings state that the EmDrive
does work. However, nothing concrete has come forward yet as there is still a long way to go
before the theory can be properly tested and scientists can definitively conclude how the
entire system functions. What is an EmDrive?
The idea of an EmDrive was first proposed some 25 years ago by British scientist Roger Shawyer.
His version of the engine was developed and tested by engineers at NASA’s Advanced Propulsion Physics
Research Laboratory, also known as Eagleworks. The drive generated thrust by bouncing around
electromagnetic energy such as microwave photons in a cone-shaped closed chamber.
As the photons collide with the walls of the chamber, they seem to somehow propel
the device forward even though there is nothing released from the chamber itself.
In contrast, the ion drives which are now used on some NASA spacecraft create thrust by ionizing
propellant which often comes in the form of xenon gas and shooting out beams of charged
atoms. This means if the EmDrive stands the test of further scrutiny, it could be used in the
future to send vehicles into the depths of space without burdening them with the extra load of
carrying tons of propellant. After all, staying light is extremely important for faster and
more cost-effective trips over long distances. Why does an EmDrive Break the Laws of Physics?
Back in 1687, the foundation of classical mechanics was formed by Sir Isaac Newton when he
published his three laws of motion. Over the next few centuries, those laws have been constantly
tested and verified time and time again. The trouble with the EmDrive originates from the
fact that it violates Newton's third law of motion. The law states that for every action,
there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is the principle that explains why an object like
a canoe glides forward when someone paddles. The force which is applied as the paddle moves
through the water causes the canoe to propel in the opposite direction,
it is also how jet engines generate thrust as when hot gasses are expelled through the rear, a plane
can move forward. Strangely, the EmDrive doesn’t seem to expel anything at all, this is something
that doesn’t make any sense in light of Newton’s third law or the conversation of momentum.
If an EmDrive moves forward without expelling anything from the rear, there is a clear lack of
an opposing force that would explain the thrust. This proposition is similar to arguing that a
person inside a car could cause it to propel forward by repeatedly hitting the steering wheel.
Another example would be that of a crew of a spaceship being able to fly the craft simply
by pushing on the walls. Testing the Theory
The theory was first tested in 2014 when a team from Eagleworks announced their early test results
which suggested that the EM engine worked. Since that initial discovery,
the group has regularly tested the EmDrive at more stringent conditions in an attempt
to further confirm the theory. Other groups have also followed with the development and testing of
various incarnations of the engine. In addition to the experiments performed by U.S, European
and Chinese academics, there is also a community of independent individuals who regularly make and
test their own impossible physics engines. However, no one so far has been able to
conclude that a drive has worked as intended. Since the team at NASA that has extensively
studied the engine has published the result of their experiments in a journal
to be reviewed by their peers, it could move us one step closer to this theory becoming a reality.
While a peer review doesn't always guarantee that a finding is indeed valid, it does indicate that
at least a few qualified individuals studied the subject matter and gave it their approval.
The published paper describes that when the team tested the EmDrive in a near-vacuum similar to the
conditions found in space, it was found that the engine was capable of producing an estimated 1.2
millinewtons per kilowatt of energy. While that amount of thrust is insignificant compared to
more traditional engines, it is still incredibly impressive considering it takes no fuel at all.
One of the major drawbacks of the EmDrive is that it warms up upon activation but some
scientists suggest this can be used to heat the surrounding air and generate even more thrust.
How Does it Generate Thrust? It is still unclear how the EmDrive will
be able to generate thrust, but there are already certain ideas being thrown around to explain how
the engine might work. The Eagleworks team that tested the drive thinks that the microwave photons
push against a rolling sea of particles that flit in and out of existence at a quantum level.
The only problem with this idea is that while quantum vacuums do exist,
there is no evidence that they generate any plasma that is available for pushing against.
Another popular idea states that the EmDrive is evidence of a new theory of inertia that involves
something called Unruh radiation. This is a sort of heat experienced by accelerating objects.
The idea is that since the narrow and wide ends of the EmDrive’s cone
permit different wavelengths of Unruh radiation, the inertia of the photons inside the cavity
must change as they bounce around and produce thrust to conserve momentum. However, this model
assumes that Unruh radiation is real, something that hasn’t been experimentally confirmed. It
also suggests that the speed of light varies within the EmDrive’s cavity, a statement that
violates Einstein’s theory of special relativity. The Mach effect theory proposed in 1990 could also
explain the thrust produced by an EmDrive. This is when some of the energy generated as
a body accelerates is being stored within the body itself. In simple terms, it suggests that
there are also gravitational interactions and mass fluctuations involved in the process. It
also explains how the craft can move through space without violating the conservation of momentum.
Conclusion The fact is that
no one can conclude for sure if the EmDrive is truly the future of space travel or if it
is just a casualty of faulty experimentation. The only way to find out is to keep studying
the idea until more answers come forward. We hope you found today’s video informative,
please leave us a like if you did. Remember to subscribe for more videos on the technology of
tomorrow. Before you go, what are your thoughts on the EmDrive? Do you think it is the future or
is it just another false theory? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.